Wednesday 30 July 1662

Up early, and to my office, where Cooper came to me and begun his lecture upon the body of a ship, which my having of a modell in the office is of great use to me, and very pleasant and useful it is.

Then by water to White Hall, and there waited upon my Lord Sandwich; and joyed him, at his lodgings, of his safe coming home after all his danger, which he confesses to be very great. And his people do tell me how bravely my Lord did carry himself, while my Lord Crofts did cry; and I perceive it is all the town talk how poorly he carried himself. But the best was of one Mr. Rawlins, a courtier, that was with my Lord; and in the greatest danger cried, “God damn me, my Lord, I won’t give you three-pence for your place now.” But all ends in the honour of the pleasure-boats; which, had they not been very good boats, they could never have endured the sea as they did.

Thence with Captain Fletcher, of the Eagl, in his ship’s boat with 8 oars (but every ordinary oars outrowed us) to Woolwich, expecting to find Sir W. Batten there upon his survey, but he is not come, and so we got a dish of steaks at the White Hart, while his clarkes and others were feasting of it in the best room of the house, and after dinner playing at shuffleboard, and when at last they heard I was there, they went about their survey. But God help the King! what surveys, shall be taken after this manner!

I after dinner about my business to the Rope-yard, and there staid till night, repeating several trialls of the strength, wayte, waste, and other things of hemp, by which I have furnished myself enough to finish my intended business of stating the goodness of all sorts of hemp.

At night home by boat with Sir W. Warren, who I landed by the way, and so being come home to bed.

22 Annotations

First Reading

Terry F.  •  Link

"But all ends in the honour of the pleasure-boats;...."

L&M note: "The yachts belonging to the King and Duke of York. As a result of their proved seaworthiness, yachts were used in the following November to transport from Calais the money obtained from the sale of Dunkirk."

Cumgranissalis  •  Link

The beginnings of Quality control"...I after dinner about my business to the Rope-yard, and there staid till night, repeating several trialls of the strength, wayte, waste, and other things of hemp, by which I have furnished myself enough to finish my intended business of stating the goodness of all sorts of hemp..."

Cumgranissalis  •  Link

Read the Seamans Dictionary to get the feeling of the course work that Sam being educating himself.

Australian Susan  •  Link

Having read the passage of Sam learning the parts of a ship from a teacher with the aid of a model, I can imagine some interesting dialogue (but Robert Gertz is needed to do this justice) with the Sir Williams tossing around nautical terms thinking to confuse the landlubber Sam and then being confounded to find he understands them, and can not only use the terms, but probably knows all the variations, the exact size of whatever they are talking about and how much it cost...!
Sam is as ever practical - he handles the ropes, he brings home a sample of the flag to examine and look at (couple of days ago) and so on.

Terry F.  •  Link

Nice lead, Cumgranissalis!
"THE
S E A M A N S
Grammar and Dictionary,
Explaining all the difficult T E R M S
in N A V I G A T I O N:
A N D T H E P R A C T I C A L
Navigator and Gunner:
In Two Parts

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

By Captain J O H N S M I T H,
Sometimes Governour of Virginia, and Admiral of New England...London, England...MDCXI [1691] [scans can be downloaded as PDFs]
http://www.shipbrook.com/jeff/sea…

Cumgranissalis  •  Link

The Thanks go to Alan Bedford

Robert Gertz  •  Link

Having commandeered the White Hart's finest room, Sir Will Batten's clerks are enjoying their afterdinner shuffleboard..."Good'un on ye, William!". Until one having left to take a stroll to satisfy Nature's call, he returns suddenly in some little alarum...

"Bloody Christ, mates, look sharp! The little bastard's in the other room!"

"Damnit Thomas, ya made me miss the damn shot! What little...?"

Oh...The common thought hits the group.

That little bastard.

Robert Gertz  •  Link

I wonder if they were the yachts built in Holland? According to the entry below they must have been at least of Dutch design, modified by Commissioner Pett.

http://www.pepysdiary.com/diary/1…

Nice of the Dutch to give Charlie such seaworthy craft, not to mention a safe haven for so long...I'm sure he'll reciprocate the Republic's generousity.

(Wide, innocent smile)

Sjoerd  •  Link

I am sure most Dutch readers would agree with you, especially if someone explained "reciprocate" to them.

I include a link to the "background" entry on the dutch yacht "Mary"; especially if you follow the links provided by Vincent it becomes clear exactly how seaworthy these craft were and how long they proved to be useful.

Todd Bernhardt  •  Link

To Robert Gertz:

At least he's *our* little bastard!

Very amusing entry today ... you can almost see Batten's scattering at the news of Sam's arrival. Also love his description of the behavior of Crofts and Rawlins, and of the slow pace of the Gage. Our little bastard is quite the writer.

Terry F.  •  Link

"*our* little bastard" earns his rep again, applies standards of performance
"[W]hen at last they heard I was there, they went about their survey. But God help the King! what surveys, shall be taken after this manner...."

Terry F.  •  Link

Cf. Cumgranissalis' "Quality control": "Performance assessment."
(*Accountability measures+ -- dealt with their implementation as a university department Chair and faculty member. Oy!)

Cumgranissalis  •  Link

Surely Robert? it goes thus : I say Ol Chappie , look sharp! the P.... Louse be in the Scuppers!"
" Damnation Thomas the shot it be in the scuppers, That's a brass farthing ye owe me."
Sorry ! taking liberties

Robert Gertz  •  Link

Definite improvement, Cumgranissalis...

Cumgranissalis  •  Link

There I be, thought it be tuppence only then it be threppence
"...

Robert Gertz  •  Link

But in my little doodles, I'd like to hold the "p*...louse tailor's son" for Bess.

Anyway...We've forgotten one important figure.

Meanwhile...In Brampton...At a certain pleasant little country house...

"Paulina! And what by the Lord's holy name be that ye be wearin', lass!" an angry John Pepys eyes his surviving daughter.

"Be patches, father. They be all the rage in London, now. Sister Bess says..." Paulina thinks fast to find a deflection...A Pepysian family trait...

"Oh, daughter." Margaret shakes her saddened head.

For such foulness to enter her Puritan...Ooops...er conservative Anglician home...

"Sister Bess, is it?! And this is what our fine French girl is bringing into our home, eh?! The wickedness of the City and the court?! Take those foul signs of vanity off now, girl! And go to your room and pray to God for better judgement!"

Bess, well-decked for her long and earnestly awaited escape to visit Lady Jem at the Hinchingbrooke estate, pauses by the open kitchen door to give a pleasant and dutiful farewell.

"And where be ye off to, missy?! In such fancy rainment." John glares.

Though the professional in him can't resist appreciating her taste...Excellent material...And he ought to know, having overcharged his son for it.

Paulina giving a sly look...

A stick in "Sister" Bess' wheel for sure, this...

Second Reading

Terry Foreman  •  Link

"to Woolwich, expecting to find Sir W. Batten there upon his survey, but he is not come, and so we got a dish of steaks at the White Hart, while his clarkes and others were feasting of it in the best room of the house, and after dinner playing at shuffleboard,...."

The clerks' expenses were paid by the office. The White Hart may have been the inn of that name which once existed in Hart St. (L&M note)

Terry Foreman  •  Link

"Then by water to White Hall, and there waited upon my Lord Sandwich; and joyed him, at his lodgings, of his safe coming home after all his danger, which he confesses to be very great."

L&M: For the storm, see https://www.pepysdiary.com/diary/…

Terry Foreman  •  Link

"(but every ordinary oars outrowed us)"

L&M: Rowed by two watermen with one oar each.

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